warriorgirl manifesto

my warrior ethos

I will always put my creative passion first. I am the master of my own destinyI define success on my own termsI will never give upI will help others along my journey

"As an artist, I am constantly exploring freedom in my creativity.I have spent quite a few years studying the path of the spiritual warrior. Here, I will share with you my thoughts on that, and how I bring warriorship into my life and what I do

Freedom is also about coming from a certain place of non attachment with our art. Having "no" control in the process can also be a very liberating thing, and avoids any deflated expectations. Sometimes we have to just "let go" and allow the process of our creations, and our destiny/careers/dreams, to unfold on it's own accord. "

freedom

Freedom in the music business means the ability to be in control of your own career and at the same time not be in control of anything, and let the winds of heaven guide us in our destiny. Let's take a look at the first part of that phrase: being in control.... It's an amazing opportunity to have a sense of freedom with our artistry, without having to be dictated by companies that are guided by budgets, competition and the commercial machine. Independence from that means you can drive your own career, and be free to create whatever you want - from writing your songs, to producing unique music albums - different, alternative, out of the box - to performing with uniqueness and diversity.

Who says we need to be like the formula on radio? Embrace the fact that you can be different from all that. There are enough people in this country who will love your music without you having to be number 1 on radio which is part manipulated anyway. Many bands fall under the radar of so-called "commercial success" (radio play, mtv video rotation, street press, Grammy awards, etc) yet can have a lifelong, financially abundant career with a huge fan base. This can be done through being totally unique, different and out of the mainstream, by touring extensively, and knowing how to brand themselves on an independent level

Being an independent artist means you can create what you want, and then allow the right people who love what you do, come to you. Rather than create packaged songs to an already saturated market which is commonly referred to as the "lowest common denominator". You have the opportunity to be different... to not just spew out the same ol' music that most of us are tired of hearing. We want something fresh, new, unique. The once loved mp3.com, napster.com and now XM Satellite radio and itunes are true representations that people are ready to hear something new, even if that means going on that arduous search through the internet waves to find a little piece of unique "gold"

So who has the gold? You do. Artists have that divine gift called "imagination" that allows us to be totally different with what we create. So be different. There's an amazing sense of freedom in that. Freedom to discover new sounds, new packaging, new marketing ideas. From the beginning to the end, you have that freedom to do what you want, how you want, no strings attached.

Freedom is also about coming from a certain place of non attachment with our art. Having "no" control in the process can also be a very liberating thing, and avoids any deflated expectations. Sometimes we have to just "let go" and allow the process of our creations, and our destiny/careers/dreams, to unfold on it's own accord. Let's take a look at the writing process for a moment. Writing songs, or creating anything, even a painting, is like tapping into a creative source that speaks to us. We can't force it, or we get blocked. We just have to be open to it. Once open, we can be very prolific. I'm always surprised that my best writing is when I just brainstorm and let the words flow. Sometimes I even "let go" of trying so hard (maybe even turn the TV on or something to take my mind off the pressure), and all of a sudden the song comes to life. How many songs have you written in the car, doing something completely different? The words can't stop coming at you can they? In the studio, the art of production is about the freedom of allowing the song to tell us what it needs. We can't force it. We become the observer... allowing the pieces to come to life, as we merely conduct. Being the observer doesn't mean we no longer care about the process. No, what it means is that we don't let our mind, our thoughts, our emotions or our worries get in the way. Let's take a look at career projections. I always talk about defining success on one's own terms, rather than the commercial model. I also remind myself and others that even though we can have all these big dreams, and create plans,.... it will never turn out the way we planned... and that's a great thing. We may project a certain future for ourselves, but ultimately, the universe, destiny, fate, whatever you want to call it, has other plans. These plans are part of the divine mystery of "why we are here" and as artists we can respect that because it's all about creativity in the end, and all about freedom. By not being so attached to certain outcomes, we will never be let down. Instead, we will be offered wonderful gifts, which is part of the magic of mystery. It is very freeing once we let go of future goals, and start living IN THE MOMENT. Tapping in to the journey, the day to day process, provides us with way more rewards and joy, than unrealized future dreams. Being an artist is a lifelong journey of discovery. It's about living in the NOW and enjoying the process of creating. It's about living with passion. Have no expectations, define your life, your successes and your goals by your own terms, on a daily basis, be different, unique and take risks with your creativity. Have no fears. There is nothing to be afraid of, unless we trap ourselves with unrealistic expectations and unrequited objectives. Se yourself FREE to be the artist you want to be. Be open, be real, be you. - by gilli moon

gilli moon's silent warrior

The silent warrior is in all of us. it's not about war, nor fighting and definitely not about struggle. it's about an inner peace and a whole lot of courage to face all fears in un-chartered waters, finding the path least travelled and at the same time, finding the path of least resistance. I take responsibility to my self. I follow a preserved set of personal freedoms. I am not without flaw, and in tolerating that i see and use my strengths. The warrior, the artist, the professional, can only be effective when free to make decisions on their own. The biggest secret is to do what you love most. Take on the Zen spirit! I am a warrior girl and I encourage everyone to tap into their warrior within.

finally, in reference to the music industry...

"The only way I can figure to beat... the corporate overthrow of culture is not participate. That means, you know, no record deals. All I know is that the priorities of these big record companies are different from mine, and they seem to co-opt and regurgitate and consume and suck the life out of culture and then sell it back to us. And that is a system of cultural destruction that I've found it only comfortable to be outside of." - Ani Di Franco

"we live in a time where entrepreneurial excellence is paramount. it's time for artists to take control of their own destiny..."- gilli moon

we are what we believe we areand we become that which we believe to be truewe are held back from our fears, and fear does not create comfortour thoughts become a battle ground, which nothing will be won uponthere are glimpses of sunlight through these days andeach will find those glimpses only when they are readywhen we know who we are, not what we arewe become courageous, warriors of truthhaving no fear is the strength within us all, waiting to be uncoveredbeing clear about our intention is clarityknowing your heart is the true powernot being afraid is how we find the spiritual warriors withinthere are no mistakes in life only re occurrenceswe are where we should bethere are reasons for everythingas we are meant to learn from all our livesand become as bright, and unmistakingly clear as a diamondfreedom of spirit can be found at anytimeit can be found while one is wearing shackles and alonebut when not bound, freedom of spirit can be spread, taught, and nurtured" -written by Susan Souza

Founded by gilli moon,Warrior Girl Music is a creative arts and entertainment services company that is is dedicated to unique artistic creations with a diverse blend of music, art and language - focusing on music and artistic development, production, a record label, publishing and promotion. Warrior Girl Music's mission is to create, promote and manage unique artistic creations that are guided by the artist's vision and under the artist's direction; creations that transcend race, age or gender and that embrace passion, love for music and life, personal excellence and global consciousness. Check it out.

gilli's warriorship

clearing clutter, the superfluous - all that is unnecessary

removing obstacles, external and internal

finding clarity

feeling inspired

using discipline as a tool for personal freedom

creating simplicity

being one with the universe and its timing

trusting that all will be taken care of.

seeking no one else's approval but your own.

doing whatever it takes to make it happen.

having personal freedom as the goal.

creating change, within and without, through an inner commitment of passion, creativity, freedom and love.

taking the path least traveled - no struggle - with the least resistance.

thoughts i appreciate from other warriors

“If a warrior is to succeed at anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort but with no stress or obsession.”~Carlos Castaneda

The Way of the Warrior: BushidoFrom "The Last Samurai" p. 60-61

The way of the samurai is often found in death. When it comes to the alternatives of life or death, there is only the quick choice of death. Be resolved and charge forward. - Yamamoto Tsunetono. Bushido, or the "way of the warrior" is a code of conduct, ethics and honor that developed among the samurai over many centuries. Death and loyalty to one's master: "One who determines to live only for today and take no thought of tomorrow, must stand before his lord thinking of it as his last appearance... only then will his duty, his love of life, and his regard for his lord be sincere." Bushido directed the warrior to set aside such distractions as self-pride or the desire to waste time or energy with the mundane. "Eliminate the unnecessary". The Zen perfection of "free-mindedness" came into play. With freedom from distraction a fact of his existence, the samurai was emancipated to pursue perfection in all things. And by reaching perfection in all he endeavoured.... he became an unbeatable warrior.

The Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable With Your WordSpeak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything PersonallyNothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make AssumptionsFind the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your BestYour best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Conversations with God

Instead of competing with others to get what you want, you begin to give what you want away. Instead of fighting for more love, you begin giving more love away. Instead of struggling for success, you begin making sure that everyone else is successful. Instead of grasping for power, you begin empowering others. Instead of seeking affection, attention, sexual satisfaction and emotional security, you find yourself being the source of it. Indeed, everything that you have ever wanted, you are now supplying to others. And the wonder of it all is that, as you give, so do you receive. You suddenly have more of whatever you are giving away."

There is enough time, there is enough Life, and there is enough of the stuff of life to allow you to live in happiness forever.

This is an extraordinary world we live in, but if we are not careful, we are going to destroy it. At the very least we will terribly disrupt, if not completely end, life as we know it. There is no need for us to do that. There is no reason to. Yet the direction in which we are going is taking us right there.

The crisis humanity is facing is not a political crisis, it is not an economic crisis, and it is not a military crisis—yet we continue to try to solve it with political, economic, and military means. The crisis humanity faces today is a spiritual crisis, and it can only be resolved by spiritual means. That is where we come in."